You may begin your search for the perfect California home online, but that’s only just the beginning. Sure, it’s nice to look at homes from the comfort of your couch, but eventually, you’ll need to get out there and see these homes in person. That’s where a California realtor really comes in handy for you. While many buyers think they can go it alone and simply attend open houses to find the home of their California dreams, there’s so much more that you need to know to make attending open houses work in your favor as a buyer. Below, you’ll find some important tips about home showings and open houses in California.
Hire A Realtor
As a buyer, you may not think it’s worth it to hire a realtor. It actually doesn’t cost you anything in most cases when you do use a buyer’s agent. The seller typically picks up the tab for both real estate agent fees at the closing table. The most important thing that you need to worry about as a buyer is finding a property that suits your needs and desires. By hiring a realtor, you’ll be able to not only attend open houses with an advocate in a realtor, but your realtor will be able to set up private showings for you as well. This way, you’ll have more time to look over properties and really see them without feeling rushed by other crowds of people who are also potentially interested in buying the home. If you set up private showings before an open house happens, you’ll have an upper hand because, at the open house, you can see the property for the second time and also know if you’re ready to put an offer on the table in the sometimes fierce competition market here in California.
Don’t Get Too Excited
Don’t be overzealous about the property when you’re at an open house, even if you absolutely love it. Showing a lot of interest could potentially cause you to end up overpaying for the house due to a bidding war being created. You also may find that in order to get the house, you need to give up certain contingencies just to secure the property. Never let a seller’s agent know how much you want the home. Just stay neutral.
Be Early
Just as you want to get your offer in for a home on time, you’ll want to get to open houses as early as possible. This will give you more time to take a good look at the home and ask away all of those questions that you may have for the seller’s agent. If you get to the open houses when there’s a lot of people there, the agent may have less availability to answer your concerns or to give you an overview of the property.
By touring California homes with a realtor, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about buying the property that you really see yourself living in.